BLOG TOUR – Shame by Rachel Van Dyken

Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light.

I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can’t change your soul.

A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie.

When guys kissed me–I felt only pain.

When they touched me–Nothing but fear.

Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world.

But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted redemption, I wasn’t fool enough to think I’d ever get it.

Until he walked into my life.

I wasn’t prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I should have known it was just another lie–I should have known that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.

But I was powerless to stop myself from falling.

And he was powerless to catch me.

Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I’m stronger than I knew. I’m stronger than you think.

You think you know my story, but you don’t….after all everyone has Shame in their lives– and I’m no longer afraid to show you mine.

Just when I think this series couldn’t possibly break my heart any more, Shame comes along. This is a heavy one. Lisa’s story is not a fairytale. It’s dark, twisted, and full of regret and self-loathing. But Wes, Kiersten, Gabe and Saylor are around, so it is also brimming with hope and love and loyalty. Rachel Van Dyken has outdone herself in regards to the emotional weight of this story. Shame offers insight into some of the worst parts of humanity. She takes us inside the deep recesses of an unstable mind and forces us to question the boundaries of sanity.

“There won’t be any pieces to pick up, Lisa, because you won’t trust me enough in the first place to give anything, let alone leave it in my hands.”

Lisa always seemed so full of life and joy. She was the outgoing one in the group, constantly encouraging Kiersten to step outside her comfort zone. When secrets come to the surface, we begin to see the depths of Lisa and it is here that Rachel Van Dyken blew me away. The character she created was incredibly complex, living in the darkness with the ghosts of her past, her shame, and regrets. Rachel took this victimized character and skillfully transformed her until she had been molded into a survivor. I connected deeply with Lisa’s strength, courage and resilience. Where she chose to start again, I would have given up ten times over.

“Little did I know that one more night with her would seal my fate forever… would align our destinies in a way I couldn’t possibly fathom.”

To be honest, there were many moments during this story where I had to stop and take a deep breath. So many emotions were running through me as Rachel gave us Lisa’s pain to experience as our own. I was heart broken for her. There were times when it felt like my breath was being stolen or my heart squeezed in my chest, because the things Lisa was going through were absolutely devastating. The journey this book took me on was completely unexpected and in writing Lisa’s story, her demons became ours to conquer. I was moved and inspired and ultimately altered by this stunning story.

“The broken pieces are the prettiest ones, Lisa. The demons, the proudest scars.”

Shame takes the issues of bullying, domestic violence, and mental illness head on. Rachel handled all of these issue with grace and sensitivity. She was unapologetically honest, real and raw while writing these horrible truths but she never once made me feel pity. These issues were mountains to be climbed and wars to be won, not things to be ashamed or embarrassed of. I have to applaud Rachel for the understanding and care she showed these issues and people living through them. Shame is unlike any of the other books in the Ruin series. It stands apart in much the same way Lisa always has. Her story is one-of-a-kind and not to be missed.

“Just hold still!” I yelled, holding up my phone while Gabe gave me the finger. I grimaced and dropped the camera away from my face. “Nice, thanks for that.”

“I’m a giver.” He smirked.

Saylor, his wife, smacked him on the arm and rolled her eyes.

“Ouch.”

I scrunched up my face when he leaned in and took Saylor’s mouth with his, kissing her senseless in the local Starbucks like they were doing a romance scene in a movie. I coughed.

They didn’t pull apart.

So I took a picture.

I earned another finger, but Gabe still didn’t dislodge from his wife.

“Whoa!” Wes’s voice sounded from behind me. “They been at it long?”

“Are all newlyweds disgusting?” I voiced aloud.

Wes moved around the table with his wife, Kiersten, and gave me a goofy shrug. I wanted to roll my eyes, but Wes was too nice and hot. Let’s not forget the hot part. Both he and Gabe were like walking poster boys for GQ. Both blond, now that Gabe had decided to dye his hair back to his original color. It was like staring at two really bright superstars.

Hating them was like hating the Easter bunny. Try all you want, but you’ll eat every piece of chocolate in the basket, just you wait.

“So you really did do a naked dance in your underwear last week after getting drunk downtown at Pike Place Market?” I tilted my head and waited while Gabe rolled his eyes and popped his knuckles. “Exactly.”

He opened his mouth.

I took a picture.

With a grimace, he snatched my phone away from me. “Never thought I’d have to tell you to lay off the pictures, Miss Paparazzi.”

I slumped in my seat. “It’s for an assignment with that hot professor.”

“Aha!” Kiersten jabbed her finger at me. “I knew it.”

I pinned her with a look. “Sarcasm, friend, sarcasm.”

“Boys get girls pregnant,” Gabe offered, while Wes choked on the coffee he’d just stolen out of my hand.

Serves him right!

“Don’t date them.”

“You’re going to be a great dad.” I smiled sweetly. “What? You’re just going to lock your girls in their rooms and go—” I mimicked his voice. “—uh, you see boy parts are bad, they make girls have lots of babies, like rabbits, and you know how rabbits make dad nervous and—”

A very long time ago, I’d wanted to be that for Gabe, then Taylor happened and well… I shuddered, blocking out the painful memories, the things I’d done, the things he’d done, the things we’d done.

“You okay?” Wes asked, his voice soft. He was way too perceptive for my taste. If I’d wanted to share, he’d be the guy I’d talk to, but I was a vault. Sharing meant admitting my guilt, and admitting meant I’d probably go insane just like he had.

“Yeah…” I straightened in my seat. “…I just don’t want to fail my class, and I need to write down nonverbal cues and take at least one picture. And pretty sure I need to ace this first assignment on account that I was late to my prof’s class, and I got in trouble.”

“He spank you?” Gabe’s eyes mocked across his coffee.

“Yes, Gabe,” I said calmly. “Because that’s how they punish bad students here at UW — with a yardstick and a smile.”

“I wish.” He whistled. “What I wouldn’t give to have Saylor—”

I plugged my ears.

He threw his head back and laughed while Saylor turned bright red and put her hand over his mouth to shush him.

“So…” Wes ignored Gabe as was his usual and leaned across the table. “…why don’t you take pictures of people here in the coffee shop? I mean, ask permission, but most people here are super interesting, right? Studying? Stressed out? Tired?” He pointed to a guy in the corner. “He looks like he’s running on five cups of coffee and one hour of sleep. Go ask, take the picture, make some notes, project done.”

“You make it sound so easy,” I grumbled.

He grinned. “I’m Wes Michels.”

I hung my head lower and grimaced.

“Phone.” He held out his hand and stood.

Within minutes, not only had he snapped two pictures for me but had taken notes on two pre-med students who had stayed up all night cramming for what they’d assumed would be a pop quiz, only to find out that they’d been in the wrong class on the wrong day.

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers!